


Four Heartbeats

by KESwriter



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22439998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KESwriter/pseuds/KESwriter
Summary: Largely unconnected sequel to "The Bachelorette." The Doctor is pregnant with her dead, human, boyfriend's child. Many beings want the baby and the Doctor will have to depend on all her friends, to stay safe.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before Fugitive of the Judoon. Please consider dropping a comment. I'm having so much fun. I would really like hear what others are thinking.

“Hi Fam, do you remember that sweet bloke who freed you while was I forced on to an intergalactic dating show by a reality destroying maniac? My friend who died so we could escape? I’m carrying his child!”

The Doctor liked to talk to herself. It kept her sane. Her friends were due back in a couple days and then she’d have to explain everything. Practice makes perfect!

Spencer came from a parallel reality where her life was a television show. He cared about her deeply from the start as a suitor while she was the Bachelorette. It was a moment of passion after she had seduced the maniacal reality keeper for information and stole keys to her friend’s prison. She craved the touch of a human after such a violent, disgusting ordeal.

Her child should be brilliant. Spencer was worked as a profiler for the US government and had PHD’s in math, chemistry, and engineering. Because of the rules of parallel the dimensions, the Doctor could never visit his world or risk breaking all of reality.

She paced around the console. It would be two days before her friends came back. With a pull of the lever, she could be there in an instant. But part of her wasn’t ready.

“Hi Fam, I had sex and now I’m pregnant! I’ve never been pregnant before. It is always good to try new things.”

The Doctor couldn’t keep this from them. She kept enough secrets from them already. This wasn’t something one should keep from traveling partners.

“Doctor!”

She recognized that voice as it echoed through her TARDIS.

“Doctor, I don’t know if you can hear this, but you’re my last hope,” Jack Harkness said. “If you’re hearing this, we’re in the same star system. I am in a Velemite prison. You don’t want to know how I smuggled in a radio. Please Doctor, if you’re in the neighborhood, I could use some help.”

The Doctor locked on to his location and set it as the destination for the TARDIS.

The TARDIS materialized in front of the prison cell. It was looked to be made of a sandstone-like material.

Jack whistled when she came out.

“I like the new look,” he said. “Blondes have more fun!”

“I’m going to slap you later,” she said as she put her sonic screwdriver to the lock.

“Feisty,” he said. “I like it.”

“Two slaps,” she said.

White aliens with oval shaped skulls came rushing forward with torches in hand.

The Doctor opened the prison cell and they ran into the TARDIS.

“So, what have been up to since I last saw you?” he asked casually.

She set the coordinates for earth.

“Oh, the usual. A couple regenerations, made new friends, fought the Master, I’m pregnant.”

“Wait, did I hear the last part correctly?” he said. “You’re pregnant!?”

“I haven’t told my current group of friends yet. I like to call them my fam. I was giving them a week to relax with their families after being imprisoned for nine days while watching me compete as the intergalactic Bachelorette.”

“Wow,” Jack said. “So, who’s the lucky fellow?”

“Dead. He helped save us while we were escaping. He was a serial killer hunter for the US government from a different reality competing for my heart. Among the men, he was the only one who recognized me as a telly character on his world.”

“Sounds like you’ve been through Hell,” he said.

“I’ve been to Hell, Jack,” she said seriously. “This was worse.”

“What was his name?” he asked gently.

“Spencer,” she said. “I didn’t even know his last name.”

“I know I haven’t been around for you a lot lately,” he said taking a step forward. “Gwen left to build a family. I have been freelance protecting alien races across the universe. Now I’m going to be here for you until you’re ready to kick me out.”

She touched his hand.

“Thank you, Jack.”

He hugged her. It was a good hug.

The doors opened.

They parted as her three friends appeared.

“Hi,” Jack said with a big smile and a wave.

“Fam, this is Jack Harkness,” she said. “Reformed scoundrel from the fifty-third century rendered immortal by another friend of mine when she opened the TARDIS’s time vortex.”

“I’m not completely reformed,” he said. “So, who’re your friends?”

“I’m Graham, a former bus driver,” he said.

“I’m a Yaz,” she said. “A probationary, police officer.”

“I’m Ryan, I work in a warehouse,” he said.

“So, how’d you end up traveling with the Doctor?”

“She accidentally teleported us to a faraway galaxy while trying to find her TARDIS,” Graham said.

“That does happen sometimes,” Jack said with a laugh. “Meet anyone famous?”

“Rosa Parks,” Yaz said.

“Martin Luther King Jr.,” Ryan said.

“A very nutty King James the First,” Graham said.

“How about Daleks, cybermen, Sontarans?”

“We’ve met a Dalek,” Ryan. “I sent one into a star going supernova.”

“Good for you,” Jack said. “Now I think the Doctor has an announcement.”

“Jack, I’ll kill you until you stay dead!” she raged.

“We’ve made enough small talk,” he said. “It’s your turn.”

“What does he know that we don’t?” Yaz asked.

“I have had thirteen different faces,” she said. “Do you want to see them all?”

“Doctor,” Jack said. “I’ll tell them if you don’t.”

“What Doc?” Graham asked.

“I’m pregnant,” she declared desperately. “It’s Spencer's child."


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm new here. I just wouldn't mind a constructive comment.

“Doc, you’re pregnant?” Graham said.

“Yes,” she said. “Who would like to nip into Paris for croissants? There is no place in the universe that makes them better.”

“Doctor this is serious,” Yaz said. “You’re going to have a baby!”

“I know, but it’s six months away!” she said. “We can adventure for a while still. He or she is very tiny right now.”

“Have you had kids before?” Ryan asked.

They stared at him.

“I was just thinking of how little we know about you,” he said. “Do you have other children?”

“As a man, I fathered three. One was made from my DNA when in my tenth regeneration. The other two, my wife gave birth to, over a thousand years ago.”

“How old are you exactly, Doc?” Graham asked.

“I lose count after a while, but I think around two thousand four years old.”

Graham, Yaz, and Ryan gasped.

“Thank you so much for the prompting Jack,” the Doctor said icily. “This is working out brilliantly.”

“It had to be done,” he said with a shrug.

“It’s just a lot information to take in,” Graham said.

“You don’t look it,” Yaz said.

“Is that because of the regeneration thing?” Ryan said. “You said you had thirteen faces before.”

“Yeah, would you like to see them?” she asked.

“No,” Yaz said. “I want to know this face better.”

“I agree,” Graham said.

“I’m a little curious,” Ryan said. “Are they all men?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Why’d you choose to be a woman?” Yaz asked.

“I don’t have total control over what I regenerate into,” the Doctor said. “It’s deep in my DNA. I can’t begin to describe it.”

“I think we’ve done enough Q&A,” Jack said and clapped his hands together. “We should get you to a proper doctor.”

“I have all the equipment here,” the Doctor said. “I don’t need to see a doctor.”

“Oh, yes you do,” Jack said. “You guys seem new to the whole companion thing. Sometimes you need to push the Doctor around a little.”

“Don’t give them ideas!” she said.

“You probably should see a doctor,” Yaz said.

The lights in the TARDIS flashed green, then blue, then white.

“Okay, doctor,” the Doctor said, putting the TARDIS in motion. “Last time I checked; Jones was living off planet.”

“Doctor was that what I thought it was?” Jack asked seriously.

“How would you know what that was?” she asked.

“What was it?” Ryan asked.

“It was a message,” the Doctor said. “Congratulations.”

“That seems harmless,” Yaz said.

“There hasn’t been a Galifreyan child birthed by a timelord in over a thousand years.”

“What’s the difference between a timelord and a Galifreyan?” Yaz asked.

“Timelords and attend the Academy, which isn’t just school. It is highly ritualized. Only timelords can have a TARDIS and are given a new name.”

“What is your name?” Graham asked.

“If I told you, your lives would be at risk,” the Doctor said. “It is one of most powerful words in the universe. I also promised my former self I wouldn’t share it with anyone.”

“I don’t even know it,” Jack said.

“We’re here,” the Doctor said.

They walked out of the TARDIS onto a planet with a pink surface and a pale lavender sky. There were rows of neat houses with red roof tiles and white stucco. The Doctor and the group walked up to the one with the name Jones on it. She knocked on the door.

A little boy of about four opened it.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m Ricky!”

“Hi Ricky!” the Doctor said. “Is your mummy around?”

“Yes, she is,” Martha said. “Ricky, go in the yard and play.”

“But I want to know who the lady and her friends are,” he said.

“I’ll tell you later,” she said. 

“Promise?”

“Promise,” she said.

She watched Ricky leave and turned back to her.

“So, who are you?” she asked.

“An old friend,” the Doctor said with a smile. “I’m the Doctor.”

Her face lit up.

“Come here,” she said and opened her arms.

The Doctor hugged her.

“I brought friends.”

“Good,” she said. “It isn’t good for you to travel alone.”

“Fam, this is Martha Jones,” the Doctor said. “I met her in my tenth incarnation while she was just a medical student. Look at her now!”

“You did bring quite a few friends,” she said. “Hi Jack.”

“Have the Elcosos been giving you anymore trouble?” he asked.

“No, thanks for the assist,” she said.

“This Graham, Ryan, and Yaz,” the Doctor said.

“Come in, come in,” she said.

“Lovely place,” the Doctor said as they sat down in the living room. “I can see why you chose Somnium Five to live. Very stable, welcoming civilization here.”

“Where’s Mickey?” Jack asked.

“He’s protecting the Prime Minister while he visits planet Erol.”

“The Doctor is pregnant!” Ryan exclaimed.

“What?” Martha said. “I had a feeling this wasn’t a strictly social visit. But I wasn’t expecting that!”

“Can we continue the social part?” the Doctor asked. “I have gone through couple faces since you last saw me. I had quite a set of eyebrows last time.”

“How far along are you?” she asked.

“About a week.”

“What race alien is he?”

“Human from a separate reality where my life was a telly show. He died saving our lives. It’s a long story.”

“Let’s get you in a gown and on an exam table,” Martha said.

The Doctor made a pained face.

“Everyone, clear out,” Martha said.

“Doc, what happened?” Graham.

“I’d rather not discuss it.”

“Were you raped?” Yaz asked.

“No,” she said. “I seduced him, my captor, for information, and stole the keys from his clothes.”

“Legally, that’s rape,” Yaz

“I don’t want to discuss it anymore, okay?”

“Guys, give her space,” Martha said. “Come on Doctor.”

She led her into an exam room.

“Nice in-home office set up,” the Doctor said.

“What happened Doctor?” Martha asked.

“The father of my child traded sexual favors for information. He begged me not to. I had to. It was to the only weakness the reality keeper had. The monster loved my body. Is it wrong that parts of me enjoyed it?”

“You know what Stockholm syndrome is right?” Martha asked.

“It was only three nights,” she said.

“That’s enough time,” Martha said.

The Doctor hugged Martha.

“I am scared like I’ve never been scared before in my life Martha,” she said. “Companions know as a rule that they aren’t safe with me. This child in me doesn’t.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Martha said and pulled out her phone and began to text. “I relocated my whole family here. I’ll message me mum and have her pick up Ricky.”

“You can’t abandon your family for six months to be with me!”

“But you have a time machine,” Martha said.

“Any number of things could go wrong,” the Doctor said. “Other entities could come after me. Your life could be put in danger.”

“You need me Doctor,” she said. “I have studied the physiology of timelords. I also have connections in the intergalactic medical community. You’re also suffering some early signs of PTSD. It is clear as day.”

The lights in her office changed. Green, blue, and white. They quickly left.

Mrs. Jones appeared with some kind of alien gun.

“Should we be worried?” she asked.

“Mum, this is the Doctor, she’s pregnant and she needs me.”

“I tried talking her out of it.”

“No one talks my daughter out of anything,” she said. “Good luck Doctor.”

Martha grabbed a luggage bag and medical bag. She then waved a kiss to Ricky.

“Mummy loves you. I’ll be back soon.”

“Bye!” Ricky shouted.

The lights flashed again. The same color sequences.

“Everyone, in the TARDIS,” the Doctor said.

They rushed in. The Doctor set it in motion.

“I like the new setup,” Martha said. “No cheese grater floor.”

“So, the TARDIS hasn’t always looked like this either?” Graham said.

“They’re still kind of new to the companion gig,” Jack said.

“I see,” Martha said. 

“There’s a planet where the dolphins like being ridden,” the Doctor said. “Let’s check it out.”

The lights flashed again. The Doctor sighed.

“Or we can solve that.”


	3. Chapter Three

“Green, blue, white,” the Doctor said. “It’s old code for congratulations used among timelords, and later other life forms. It’s like Morse code, red white, red is help for example.”

“It’s used on other planets now,” Martha said. “Epsilon Twelve uses it in road signs.”

“How is the code getting in here?” Graham asked.

“Someone’s trying to scare us,” the Doctor said. “I need to go deep into the TARDIS to get the exact location.”

“Then what?” Ryan asked.

“I let someone else handle the threat,” the Doctor said. “I don’t know who, but I’m not going near the location.”

“Very wise Doctor,” Martha said.

“Okay,” she said. “I best get to the heart of who’s sending the signal. See you later.”

“Wait,” Jack said. “I’m coming.”

“So am I,” Yaz said.

“Before you all chime in, no,” the Doctor said. “This is a very sensitive part of the TARDIS. I don’t need any distractions.”

She left before anyone could follow her. The Doctor made a few quick lefts and a right and then took a lift down a couple floors.

The lights flickered again.

“They’re only lights,” she said to herself. “They can’t harm you.”

A door to the left opened and the Doctor pulled out her sonic screwdriver. The engine resembled that of earth car. It was far more complex, but chose this configuration for the moment.

“Where are you coming from?” 

She lit the engine with the sonic screwdriver.

Demons Run

She quickly worked to block the sensors it was using to enter the TARDIS. Her head was spinning with the knowledge.

The Doctor took a seat against the wall. Demons Run. One of her greatest failures. This screamed trap. Madame Kovorian was dead though. Who could be using the base?

She hugged her knees. The pregnancy hormones were already kicking in. Was she really up for being a mother? What would the delivery look like? She barely remembered her wife’s. Everything about this scared her more than a platoon of Daleks.

“Doctor?”

A message rang through the TARDIS. It was Jack.

“I’m coming,” she called out.

No time for tears. Time for action.

She took the lift up and walked back to the console room.

“Demons Run,” she said. “Any of you familiar with it?”

“It’s an old military base,” Jack said. “You?”

“It’s where my second wife was born,” the Doctor said.

“Second wife?” Ryan said.

“Well I suppose, it makes sense if you’ve been around for thousands of years,” Graham said.

“Is this River Song we’re talking about?” Jack asked. “I’ve heard stories that you were married.”

“You know of her?” the Doctor asked.

“Everyone in the universe has,” Martha said. “She’s an intergalactic woman of mystery and a thief.”

“It’s a long story,” the Doctor said. “So, it’s clearly a trap intended for me. Martha and Jack, you know intergalactic law enforcement better, who should be sent there?”

“Honestly, I don’t trust anyone but us,” Jack said. “Intergalactic law enforcement ranges from competent to moronic to brutish with no in between.”

“I agree with Jack,” Martha said and opened her luggage. “No one has fought more aliens than us.”

She pulled out a massive gun. Jack’s eyes glittered.

“Please tell me you have a spare. They confiscated all mine.”

She tossed him a slightly smaller gun.

“I like.”

The Doctor intervened.

“No guns, on my TARDIS!” she shouted. “You two both know how much I hate those things.”

Martha and Jack pressed buttons on them and they reduced to size. They then proceeded to holster them.

“You two really think you can take on whatever is holed up in that base?” the Doctor said. “It is massive, if I recall correctly.”

“I can send some messages,” Martha said. “I do know a few officers I can trust to help out.”

“I still don’t like this plan,” the Doctor said.

“And what about us?” Graham said. “We’ve been traveling with the Doctor for a good six months. We know how to run and hold our own.”

“I like you lot,” Martha said. “But you haven’t seen the other side of what it’s like to be a companion. The sacrifices you have to make. Traveling with the Doctor changes the core identity of who you are.”

“What do you mean?” Yaz asked.

“I just wanted to be a medical doctor. Then I ended up becoming a freedom fighter while the Doctor was imprisoned for a year by the Master along with my whole family. I learned I was stronger than I imagined and became slightly ruthless as a result.”

“I learned to care about other people and take responsibility for my actions,” Jack said. “I became a leader and defender of all that is good in the universe.”  
The Doctor rubbed her hands together. 

“Okay, plan,” she said. “I can get you a ship. Martha text your friends. We’ll get within a light year of Demons Run and then you guys go in. I’ll monitor the situation from here, with Graham, Ryan, and Yaz.”

“I’d like to check you out first,” Martha said.

“The child is the size of a sweet pea right, now Martha,” the Doctor said. “We’ve got other issues to consider.”

“What about us?” Ryan said. “We can do more than ‘monitor the situation.’ Trust us!”

“I know Ryan,” the Doctor said. “Your job is harder as it involves waiting and making sure nothing happens. Everyone has a role in this mission, I promise.”

Martha was busy with her phone. Jack checked his gun. The Doctor went to the console and began to twist nobs.

“I’ve got a few friends in the area,” Martha said. “Good people. I trust them to help.”

“You know how to drive one of these, Jack?” the Doctor asked as something that looked like a small flying saucer emerged.

“There isn’t anything I can’t fly,” Jack said. “Is that a Dalek ship?”

“Modified,” she said. “It has no weapons, but excellent shields and scanning technology.”

“That works,” Jack said.

“My friends are ready,” Martha said.

“Okay, let’s get a shift on,” the Doctor said.

She put the TARDIS in motion.

…

Martha’s friends resembled a race the Doctor had encountered before except their spiky heads were blue. Their ship resembled a pyramid. They pulled up beside the TARDIS and waved.

“Okay,” Jack said. “Time for some fun.”

The Doctor pull the shrink ray out as Jack threw the saucer into space. She hit it with a ray and it expanded to half the size of the interior of the TARDIS. Martha and Jack hopped in.

“Stay in communication,” the Doctor said. “And stay safe.”

Jack saluted her and Martha waved. The ships moved into position. They then took flight.

“So now we wait?” Ryan asked.

“I know, no fun,” the Doctor said.

“Will you trust us, like you trust them, one day?” Yaz asked.

“I hope not,” she said. “They went through horrible things. I’m not proud of what I did to Martha.”

“It wasn’t exactly fun being caged up,” Ryan said.

“I warned you from the start that I couldn’t keep you safe,” she said.

“I wish you’d let us fight,” he said.

“You’re my traveling companions, not my soldiers!” the Doctor said. “We get into trouble, help people, and move on. This isn’t the academy!”

“Hey Doctor,” Jack said. “We’ve found shields around the base. Our friends can blow them up. Do you want them to?”

“Go ahead,” the Doctor said.

They waited with baited breath.

“There nothing in here Doctor,” Jack said. “No life forms. Nothing.”

“Jack, Martha, friends, get out of there!”

“Shouldn’t we look around?” Martha asked.

“NOW!”

Jack and Martha zipped out.

“My friends,” Martha said. “There is something pulling on their engines!”

“Use the docking beam!” the Doctor said.

There was an explosion that rocked the TARDIS

A voice that sounded slightly mechanical ripped through the console room:

“THE CHILD WILL BE OURS!”


	4. Chapter Four

Martha and Jack emerged from the badly damaged ship and stepped into the TARDIS.

“We couldn’t save them,” Martha said sadly.

“The docking beam was severed,” Jack said. “We’re lucky we made it out alive.”

The Doctor used the shrink ray on the space craft and it reduced in size. It then floated into the depths of the TARDIS. 

“I’m so sorry,” the Doctor said. “This is all my fault.”

“It is not!” Martha said firmly. “I invited them and they agreed. My friends knew the risks involved.”

“We all agreed to this plan,” Jack said. “No one could have predicted that would happen.”

The Doctor began to pace around her TARDIS manically.

“More people are going to die,” she said. “Someone or some group is willing to destroy anything that gets in the way of taking my child.”

Yaz grabbed her by the shoulders.

“This isn’t your fault,” she said. “We’re going to keep you safe.”

“Have you thought about going home to Gallifrey?” Graham asked. “They might know how to keep you safe.”

“The Master destroyed it,” the Doctor said. “There is nothing left but ruins.”

“Why?” Ryan asked. “And why didn’t you tell us?”

“The Master found out everything we were taught was lies,” she said. “So, he punished them. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t ready to reveal that my home was dead.”

“I wish you would trust us!” Yaz said and hugged her.

The Doctor let go quickly.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “All I’ve known is that there isn’t a problem in this universe I couldn’t solve without a little clever thinking and reasoning. Not anymore. This child is a target on me and anyone associated with me. I really should send you all away.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Jack said. “I’m here to look after you and the kid.”

“I don’t like needing to be looked after!” the Doctor said. “I’m over twelve hundred years old. I have fought in wars, fought multitudes of alien races and saved millions over the years. I’ve lived and I’ve lost. I shouldn’t need a protector!”

“But you do,” Martha said. “None of us are leaving you. We’re going to keep you and the child safe.”

“What about the rest of the universe?” the Doctor said. “They want this child!”

“We’re here Doc,” Graham said. “We can fight. You don’t want us to be soldiers, so call us defenders. We’ll defend the universe against threats who want your child.”

“This isn’t a simple adventure though,” the Doctor said. “This is at least six months! A Gallifreyan child take six months, but I don’t know about one who is half human.”

“We’re in it for the long haul,” Yaz said.

A knocking on the TARDIS doors could be heard.

“Another threat?” Ryan asked.

“Let’s look on the monitor,” Jack said.

The knocking persisted.

“I know that knock,” the Doctor said. 

She sprinted to the door and opened it.

River Song appeared dressed as an Egyptian goddess with a mask and her hair in an updo.

“Hello, Sweety,” she said. “I hear you got yourself into some trouble with a man.”

“It was the best kind of trouble River,” the Doctor said as she allowed her to step forward.

River pulled off her mask. She reached for the Doctor and they kissed passionately.

“I’m feeling very turned on,” Jack said.

“Then I’ll slap you,” River said.

“I love the look,” the Doctor said. “What were you trying to steal?”

“Information about a prophesy,” she said. “When I realized it was about you, I set my coordinates for my conception place.”

“So, you’re River Song,” Graham said. “The Doctor’s wife who was conceived here?”

“You’re new I take it,” River said. “I was conceived by two of her companions during their wedding night in the TARDIS. I was able to regenerate my body a couple times as a result.”

“You said it was a long story,” Yaz said.

“Martha, Jack,” she said. “Fine, upstanding, companions dedicated to protecting the universe.”

“Do you do threesomes?” Jack asked.

“Oh, that is just on a tame day,” River asked.

The Doctor slapped herself.

“You do know how to set my brain sideways,” the Doctor said. “Back to the kid I’m carrying people have been killed for. What are you doing here?”

“It has been prophesized that the first half-human Gallifreyan child born in over a thousand years, will have the power to build bridges among realities and expand the knowledge of the universe.”

“The time predator was going to destroy nineteen realities,” the Doctor said. “How was he able to do that?”

“He was using what was left of his regenerative energy,” River said. 

“What about his followers who we allowed to evacuate?” Yaz asked.

“Time predators are of a hive mind,” River said. “They have no goal without their leader. They’ll live harmlessly in the universe.”

“Do you know what is after us?” Doctor said.

River said something that made no sense to anyone but the Doctor.

“That is Galifreyan!” the Doctor said. “Old Galifreyan for: War comes with the child.”

“It is a message spread across the universe,” River said. “To say it is a pledge of allegiance to steal your child.”

The Doctor let out a sigh.

“Is there any place safe for me?”

“Yes,” River said with a smile. “Earth.”


	5. Chapter Five

“Are you mad!?” the Doctor exclaimed. “That is the first place they’ll look!”

“It is where you are loved the most,” River said. “You’ve saved the earth so many times. Now let us save you.”

“She has a point,” Jack said. “Alien races know to avoid Earth or face your wrath.”

“I like the Somnium Five,” Martha said. “But no planet is better known for being under your protection.”

“Let me show you,” River said. “Mind if I take her for a spin?”

“If I’m not convinced Earth is safe for me, or it’s inhabitants, I’m leaving. Got it?”

“I’ll show you,” River said.

“So, River, you were conceived here?” Ryan said. “What happened to your parents?”

“They were trapped in nineteen-thirties New York City, by time-manipulating aliens known as Weeping Angels. They lived a good life and died there with no way of returning to the present.”

“Have many of your companions have died, Doctor?” Yaz asked.

“It’s the reason I can’t keep you safe,” the Doctor said. “Yes, I’ve lost a few. It never stops hurting, years later.”

“I guess I never took is seriously, that we might actually die while traveling with you,” Ryan said.

“It’s one of the reasons people stop,” the Doctor said. “The constant state of fight or flight adrenaline fueled motion becomes exhausting. Or you start   
feeling detached from what it means to be human after cheating death so many times.”

“Something to think about,” Graham said.

Jack watched River fly the TARDIS.

“You’re quite good at it,” Jack said.

“No matter what the configuration, it feels like home,” River said. 

“Impressive,” Martha said.

“We’re here,” River said.

“Where is here?” the Doctor asked.

“Go out and see,” she said.

The Doctor stepped out and into a large modern office.

“Hello Doctor.”

The Doctor turned around to see none other than Ace.

“Ace!” the Doctor said. “Look at you! So, grown up.”

“I mostly go by Dorothy now,” she said.

The Doctor quickly turned to the TARDIS.

“Everyone, come meet Ace!”

They stepped out of the TARDIS.

“Welcome,” Ace, said. “It is good to see you River. It is nice to finally meet the rest of you.”

“You know of us?” Martha said.

“Before she died, Sarah Jane asked me to keep looking out for the companions.”

“I recognize you,” Graham. “You’re Dorothy McShane. You run A Charitable Earth. You raise millions for charity.”

“It has a number of purposes,” Ace said. “When UNIT and Torchwood fell, I decided to reconfigure the organization’s goals.”

There was beeping sound.

“Everyone is assembled, Ms. McShane,” the speaker on the phone said.

“Terrific,” she said. “Come on everyone. Doctor, you’re in for a treat.”

They took the lift down a floor and Ace led them to a room labeled “auditorium.”

“Doctor,” Ace said, as she opened the door. “Welcome to your past.”

The Doctor entered the front of the auditorium and stepped on to a small stage. She gasped.

Companions from the past were assembled there. Ian, Jo, Polly, Mel, Grace, Donna, and Craig. Kate, Osgood and Gwen were also present.

“Okay, I’m ready to cry, and I’m going to blame the pregnancy hormones,” the Doctor said.

“That’s why we’re here, Doctor,” Ian said. “You spent so much time trying to protect us. It is our turn. Let us look after you.”

“Oh Ian,” she said stepping off the stage. “I have thought of you and Barbara so much over the years. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for Barbara’s funeral.”

“She died peacefully,” he said. “We never forgot you.”

“Mel, when did you get back to Earth?” she asked.

“About a month ago,” she said brightly. “A prophesy has been spreading that the Doctor will be facing a great danger. So, I decided to come back. So much has changed. People really are obsessed with these pieces of plastic and circuitry you keep in your pocket.”

“Are you finding blondes have more fun Doctor?” Jo asked.

“More than ever,” she said with a smile and turned to Polly.

“Please tell me you didn’t stop building orphanages in India for me.”

“No Doctor,” she said. “I decided to retire to England, a couple years ago.”

“Grace, what are you doing here?” the Doctor asked.

“Making up for a lifetime of regret,” she said. “River found me and told me you might need me one day. That day has come.”

“My turn,” Donna said. “You’re all womanly now, Wizard!”

“Okay, how?” the Doctor said.

“I don’t remember all of it. But over the years, bits and pieces have come back. I’m here for you too, Doctor. I’m also lending my finances to help.”

“Craig!?”

“I want to help too,” he said. “You helped save my boy. You’re my hero Doctor. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“That goes for all of us Doctor,” Ian said. “Not all of us are in shape to run anymore, but we’re prepared to help in any way we can.”

The Doctor looked around. Jack and Martha were exchanging hugs with Gwen while River was talking to Kate and Osgood. Graham, Yaz, and Ryan stood on the stage awkwardly.

“These are our predecessors?” Graham said slowly.

“Some of them,” the Doctor said with a smile.

“What about the rest?” Ryan asked.

“Several chose to keep traveling the stars with someone else. I returned a couple to their original time periods or planets. Other have died while traveling with me or afterwards.”

“This is our legacy,” Yaz said.

Ace appeared.

“You can all swap stories later. You have more in common with us than you think.”

She stepped in the middle of the stage.

“Everyone, take a seat,” Ace said.

The Doctor took a seat in front with Yaz, Graham, and Ryan.

“Due to government restructuring, Torchwood and UNIT are no longer recognized entities. I chose to acquire what was left of the staff and resources from both to assist in one goal that was prophesized decades ago: Protect the child.

Some of you know of this, as it has been whispered throughout space. A mixed-race alien would bridge realities in the universe. Earth would serve as its protector. We didn’t know it was the Doctor’s child until River unlocked that piece of the prophesy on the planet Algonagua. Now that we have, we know our mission: Protect the Doctor and her child.

You are all gathered here because River called and you answered. You want to help. I will find tasks that will suit each of you. But your most important role will always be this: Companion to the Doctor.”

River stood up.

“Do you feel safe here Doctor?” she asked.

The Doctor looked around at all the eager faces of young and old.

“I won’t let you down,” the Doctor said.


	6. Chapter Six

“Oh, the joys of being a woman,” the Doctor said as she put her legs up in the stirrups.

“Gallifreyans have periods like humans, don’t they?” Martha said as she examined her.

“Our underthings have a special absorbency quality. No need for pads or those awful things called tampons,” the Doctor said and let out a gasp. 

“That hurt!” she said.

“All standard procedures in a prenatal exam,” Martha said.

“I particularly liked giving you a urine sample,” she irritably.

“We need to test you for any irregularities,” Martha said calmly.

“I’m sure you’ll find some. I’m Gallifreyan, after all.” 

“We’ll see what is shows,” Marth said. “Now you can get dressed and we’ll do an ultrasound.”

“Okay,” she said taking a deep breath.

“Are you okay, Doctor?” Martha asked.

The Doctor got off the table.

“Nearly every living companion of mine is assembled to make sure this kid survives. I know they’re willing to put their lives on the line for me again. I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“You won’t,” she said. “We just want to be here for you.”

The Doctor sighed again.

“I’ll give you a moment,” Martha said and left.

The Doctor changed back into her clothes. So many old faces. They sent echoes through her mind of she used to be. Sometimes she was manipulative, other times caring, often a little of both. It was all mad, in a way seeing them all assembled in front of her.

Martha knocked.

“Ready, Doctor?”

“As I can be,” she said.

Martha came in with the ultrasound equipment.

“Back on the table,” she said.

“I’m not going to enjoy doing this regularly,” she said.

“Let see how the child’s doing,” Martha said.

The Doctor lifted her shirt and Martha applied some cool gel. Then she applied the scanner.

“How does, he or she look?” the Doctor asked.

“Remarkable,” Martha said. “You can’t usually see the heart muscles moving this early in a human.”

“That’s Gallifreyan biology for you,” the Doctor said.

“At this rate we should know the sex in about three weeks.”

Martha took a few pictures.

“What was Spencer like?”

“Kind, protective, and very smart,” she said. “He hunted serial killers for the US government.”

“Have you thought about trying break reality barriers to find his family?”

“I have, and it is too risky,” she said. “Too many things could go wrong. I may try in the future, but not right now.”

Martha adjusted the screen so the Doctor could look at it.

“Oh, you’re beautiful,” she said with a smile.

Martha turned off the machine and removed the scanner. Then she wiped the gel off the Doctor.

“Pretty convenient of Ace to have all this equipment in the building she owns,” the Doctor said.

“She’s been preparing,” Martha said.

The Doctor got off the table.

“Let’s go see what the companions have been saying about me,” the Doctor said.

…

They entered the private dining room where laughter could be heard.

“I say, you haven’t lived if you haven’t been chased by a Dalek!” Ian said.

“Or been kidnapped by an alien race!” Mel said.

“Or forced to wear something ridiculous to remain inconspicuous in the area!” Polly said.

Graham, Yaz, and Ryan were laughing along.

“You really dressed like a clown for your sixth regeneration, Doc!” Graham said pulling up a tablet of photos.

“It was stylish at the time,” the Doctor said indignantly.

“It was never in style,” Jo said.

“I’ve got pictures!” Martha said. “Who wants to see the sonogram photos?”

Hands were waved and pictures were distributed.

“You’re already quite far along Doctor,” Grace said looking at it.

“Gallifreyan biology,” the Doctor said. 

“He or she looks just like you!” Jack said.

The Doctor rolled her eyes.

“You’ll treasure these, forever,” Craig said. “I still have the ones of my son in a scrap book.”

“So, what next?” the Doctor asked. “I’m not used to not being the one with the plan. I don’t know the rules of following one.”

“Doctor, we know you, so we know you can’t stay out of trouble,” River said. “All that we ask is that you keep to earth until the child is born and bring a fourth companion with you in addition to your current trio.”

“We don’t need a babysitter,” Ryan said.

“We know you don’t, son,” Ian said. “It is more for our peace of mind than yours. You will do the adventuring while someone is there with the equipment in case the Doctor gets hurt.”

“Okay,” Graham said.

“It’s been a long day,” the Doctor said. “It was delightful, seeing all of you. Tours of the TARDIS start tomorrow!”

There were cheers.

“Your TARDIS is on the seventh floor,” Ace said.

“Thanks,” she said.

“We’ll see you, tomorrow right?” Yaz said.

“Absolutely,” the Doctor said.

The Doctor took the lift to the seventh floor. She stepped into the TARDIS and stopped at the console.

“Our outer space traveling days are over for a while, old girl,” she said.

She went down a hall and made a few rights until she ended up in her bedroom. The Doctor changed into blue pajamas and settled into bed. 

…

The Doctor walked into a tall concrete building while in her pajamas. She knew she was dreaming and was curious where she was. Voices could be heard up ahead.

“I can’t believe it’s been six months.”

“No signs of foul play, his car was still in the lot, and no activity on his bank account or credit cards. It makes no sense.”

“I can’t believe Cruz is making us do this.”

The Doctor walked up to where a group of people had gathered. A man was affixing a picture to wall. It was a wall for fallen agents.

A gray-haired man noticed her.

“Who are you?” he said.

“You can see me?” she said, shocked.

“Why are you dressed for bed?” a man of Asian descent said.

“How’d you get in here?” a dark-haired woman asked.

“I don’t have good answers for any of those questions,” the Doctor said.

The man finished adjusting the frame and left. It was a picture of Spencer. The Doctor gasped. 

She walked up and touched the frame. He was a little scruffy-looking in this picture, but his smile was sweet.

“Do you know what happened to him?” a blond woman asked.

“Yes,” she said. “He died saving mine and my friend’s lives.”

“Wait a minute, you’re the Doctor from Doctor Who!” a woman with bleach-blond hair said. “I don’t remember an episode like that!”

“A separate timeline formed in a parallel world,” the Doctor said.

“Reid can’t be dead!” she cried.

“That’s his last name?” the Doctor said. “I only know him as Spencer.”

“I don’t understand,” the dark-haired woman said.

“Let me see if I can explain,” she said and approached her. “This might hurt.”

The Doctor touched the woman’s head. After a couple seconds, the woman she now knew as Emily Prentiss was left gasping for air.

“She’s been through Hell,” she said as she bent over. “And she’s pregnant with Spencer’s child!”

“What!?” several of the agents said at once.

The lights in the building flashed the congratulations colors.

“I can’t stay here,” she said. “I loved your friend and I’m sorry he had to die for my friends to live.”

“Where are you going?” Prentiss asked.

“The child is emitting powerful Gallifreyan energy, which is why I was able to cross into this reality while dreaming.”

The Doctor thought about her TARDIS and ran.

…

She woke up breathless. The Doctor didn’t doubt that the dream was real.

“It was nice meeting your friends, Spencer Reid,” she said.


	7. Chapter Seven:

“I loved the rain forest room!” Jo said. “It reminded me of the Amazon except with a few other exotic plants.”

“I liked the swimming pool!” Mel said. “Imagine all the different sorts of exercise you can perform in it.”

“The library is magnificent,” Ian said.  
“The wardrobe room is huge,” Donna said. “I could live in there!”

“My son would love the waterslides,” Craig said.

“So, this is what Jack hung around in before he ran Torchwood,” Gwen said.

“This is a place of wonders,” Grace said.

“I kind of miss the round things though,” Polly said. “Too many shapes in here.”

“We all get nostalgic for the past at times,” Ian said. “Right, Doctor?”

“What?” the Doctor said. “Oh sorry. You’re right as always, Ian.”

“You’re getting soft in your old age,” he said. “I think you thought I was a silly fool when we met.”

“Oh Ian, never,” the Doctor. “Maybe silly, but I would never in a million lifetimes take you for a fool.”

“What else is on your mind Doctor?” Polly asked.

“Is it that obvious?” she asked.

“Yes,” everyone said.

“Out with it,” Donna said. “We’re your friends. You can trust us.”

“My child, has already demonstrated Gallifreyan abilities. I went into the father’s dimension while I was sleeping and interacted with his friends.”

“That’s big Doctor,” Ian said. “Have you told anyone?”

“I’ve told Ace,” she said. “She told Martha and they want to do a sleep study. More tests. I hate doctors, yet that is what I like to be called.”

“Doctors make the worst patients,” Grace said with a smile.

They entered the console room where Graham, Yaz, and Ryan were waiting.

“See anything cool?” Ryan asked.

“So many things,” Craig said.

“Nifty place eh?” Graham said.

“She’s gotten more creative,” Jo said.

“Spaceman-woman is traveling between realities in her sleep,” Donna said.

“What?” Yaz said.

“My kid is already very powerful,” the Doctor said. “I was able to walk around and interact with people from Spencer’s reality.”

“Wow,” Graham said.

“So, who would like to nip into Paris for croissants?” the Doctor asked. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been craving one.”

“I’ve got to check on the sitter,” Craig said.

“Same here,” Donna said.

“I’m sorry Doctor,” Ian said. “Part of me would love to, but it wouldn’t feel right traveling with you without Barbara.”

“I understand completely,” the Doctor said.

“Jack is taking me out for lunch,” Gwen said.

“Ace promised me a tour of her IT room,” Mel said. “Maybe next time.”

“I’m sorry Doctor,” Polly said. “I’m not up to even up for the tamest adventures in the TARDIS anymore, because they never turn out to be tame.”

Everyone slowly left except Grace and Jo.

“I’m game,” Grace said.

“As am I,” Jo said.

“Excellent,” the Doctor said. “Paris here we come!”

The Doctor set the coordinates. After a few moments, they arrived.

“Bonjour!” the Doctor said as she opened the door.

There was the sound of laser guns. The Doctor quickly closed it.

“Polly was right,” Jo said.

The Doctor checked the coordinates. 

“Oh, we arrived during the Merusian invasion of twenty-ninety!”

“Aliens are going to invade in twenty-ninety?” Yaz said.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “They’re destroyed after causing only minimal casualties.”

“Minimal is too many in my book,” Ryan said. “Let’s fight them!”

“I’ve already got it covered Ryan,” she said.

The Doctor aimed her sonic screwdriver at the monitors.

The eleventh Doctor was racing around under the Eifel tower with Clara by his side.

“That’s you and that’s Clara Oswald, right?” Graham said.

“You’ve been studying,” the Doctor said. “A plus.”

“So, what do we do?” Yaz said.

The Doctor began to mess with the controls.

“Call it a day and get some tea,” she said.

The TARDIS refused to move.

“It wants us here,” Ryan said.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” the Doctor said. “Grace stay close, you’re the newest to all this.”

They walked outside. The eleventh Doctor nearly smashed into them.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Are you or any of your friends afraid of heights?”

The Doctor shook her head along with the rest of the group.

“Then take these bell magnets and attach them to the observation deck of the Eifel tower.”

“Okay,” the Doctor said.

Clara handed each of them red magnets with bells attached.

“No time for introductions,” she said. “Good luck and thanks for helping to save the world!”

The Doctor grabbed Grace just as an orange squid-headed alien in yellow armor aimed a laser at her.

They ran in a zig-zag pattern around the base to get to the elevators.

“Never been to Paris,” Grace said. “This is quite a way to experience it.”

“Life and death with the Doctor, is always an experience to remember,” Jo said.

“How would you forget?” Grace asked.

“Stay down,” the Doctor said once they got in the elevator.

The Doctor sighed.

“And I was so looking forward to finally getting my croissant.”

“We’ve got a world to save,” Yaz said.

They got to the top and started attaching the magnets.

A laser beam hit the railing near Jo and she screamed. She held on by one hand.

The Doctor ran to her side and pulled her forward.

“You’re not dying on my watch today Jo,” she said. “Not today or ever.”

“I love you too, Doctor,” she said.

The structure of the tower shook.

“Let’s get out of here!” the Doctor shouted.

They took the elevator down. Merusians had surrounded the base. They were trapped. 

Suddenly, there was a hum in the air. It made the Merusians writhe in agony. Within minutes, they went up in smoke.

Clara appeared.

“Thanks,” she said. “The Doctor would thank you too, but he is sending a message to other aliens.”

“Always happy to help,” the Doctor said.

“Hey, would you like some croissants?” Clara asked and handed her a bag. “I’ve been saving them to bring home but I’m afraid they’ll go stale by the time I get there.”

The Doctor hugged Clara.

“Thank you,” the Doctor said. “My impossible girl.”

“Who are you?” she asked, shocked

The Doctor ran with her friends into the TARDIS.

“Why is she your impossible girl?” Graham asked as the Doctor entered coordinates.

“It’s a long story,” she said.

The TARDIS was in motion.

“I see what I’ve been missing,” Grace said.

“How did you feel?” Jo asked.

She smiled.

“Alive in ways I haven’t felt in over twenty years.”

The Doctor beamed.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Do you remember seeing us now Doctor?” Yaz said.

The Doctor closed her eyes.

“I remember seeing a flash of blond hair. I assumed she-I was the leader of a tour group. Clara questioned me about whether I had ever been a woman and I laughed her off.”

“It’s funny how the memory works with age,” Graham said.

The Doctor opened her eyes.

“Funny indeed.”

Martha was waiting for them when they left the TARDIS.

“Get in any trouble?” she asked.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the Doctor said. “We got croissants!”


	8. Chapter Eight

“Is the goop necessary?” the Doctor asked as Martha attached sensors to her head. “This is going to take forever to get out!”

“We just want to see how your brain functions while sleeping,” Martha said.

“How am I supposed to sleep while hooked up to all this stuff?” she asked.

“We can play music, or the sound of the TARDIS,” Ace said.

“So, you two, are just going to sit and watch me snooze?” the Doctor asked.

“We’ll be monitoring brainwaves and looking for any irregularities,” Martha said.

“Oh, this should be fun.”

“Just relax, Doctor and everything will be fine,” Ace said.

The Doctor tucked herself deeper into the bed in the observation room.

“Sweet dreams,” Martha said and dimmed the lights.

…

The Doctor was walking through what looked like an American sheriff’s station. A few people glanced at her but quickly returned to work. She recognized the sounds of familiar voices in the conference room. 

“This cipher is our only clue to where the killer will strike next,” Prentiss said. “We have failed to crack the first two, and people have died. This person still has a chance.”

“You again?” the blonde J.J. said with a sigh. “We’re kind of busy.”

The Doctor looked at the cipher projected on the board and gasped.

“That’s Gallifreyan,” the Doctor said.

“Can you help us?” Prentiss asked.

“It’s ancient Gallifreyan,” the Doctor said. “Kind of like Earth Cuneiform, except older.”

“What is Gallifreyan?” the Italian, Rossi asked irritably.

“It is where I come from,” she said.

The Doctor approached the board and picked up a marker.

“May I?”

“We’ll take any help we can get,” Prentiss said. “Even from an alien from another dimension.”

She made quick work of the puzzle. It was about substitution with numbers, and then combining them to form a sequence of letters.

“Where teeth are pulled, and fuel for transportation is found,” she said. “It is where a dentist and a petrol station are located.”

The Hispanic, Alvez looked it up on the computer. 

“Only one location matches that,” he said. “It’s five miles from here.”

“I’m coming with you,” the Doctor said.

“This sounds like a trap for you,” Lewis, the African-American woman said.

“It could be a trap for all of you,” she said. “I need to see what is going on.”

“What about your child?” Prentiss asked. “Spencer’s child.”

“I need to see the threat I’m facing if I can figure out how to fight it. I know how to get out of here if I need to.”

“I’m not in the mood to argue,” Prentiss said. “We’re running out of time. Let’s move. Doctor stay close to me.”

The Doctor watched as orders were given to local law enforcement and they put on vests. Prentiss threw her one and she put it on.

She got in a van with Prentiss, Rossi, and J.J.

“So, this is what Spencer did on a regular basis,” the Doctor said.

“Why can’t you stay in this reality?” J.J. asked. “We can take care of you.”

“You haven’t fought the evil I’ve fought,” she said. “The weapons you have here don’t work on the intergalactic scale.”

“Did you love him?” J.J. asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Then why did you let him sacrifice himself when you can ‘regenerate?’”

“We’re getting off point,” Prentiss said. “Google maps shows an abandoned house behind the gas station.”

They arrived, surrounded the house, and got out. A woman with stringy brown hair, emerged with a gun a to a ten-year-old boy’s head.

“I want the Doctor!” she said.

“That’s not how this works lady,” Rossi said.

“Drop the weapon and put your hands behind your head,” Prentiss said.

The woman took the safety off the gun.

“I’ve killed two children to get the Doctor’s attention!” she screamed. “I’ll kill another if I have to!”

“Okay, you’ve got me,” the Doctor said raising her hands. “Let go of the child and you can have me.”

“Doctor, no!” Prentiss shouted.

“I know what I’m doing, Agent Prentiss,” she said. “Just trust me.”

The Doctor walked up to the woman.

“Let go of the child,” the Doctor said.

“Happily,” she said. “Now I can I take yours.”

She shot low and hit the Doctor just beneath the vest. The Doctor keeled over and touched the woman. In her absolute agony, she thought of Ace’s building and they disappeared.

…

The Doctor woke up in a haze. She was wearing a hospital gown. Trying to get up proved difficult.

“Take it easy, Doctor.”

She looked up to see Jack by her side.

“What happened?” she asked croakily.

“Ever deal with the Halimorphs?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“They’re sent across the galaxy to pose as other life forms and serve as advance guard for races bent on the invasion of a planet. They can also be used as assassins like this one. The only way to tell what they really look like is after they die.”

The Doctor gasped.

“My baby!”

“Is doing fine,” he said. “He or she emitted regenerative energy before the bullet hit. The kid is smart.”

“What has the Halimorph said?”

“It committed suicide by throwing itself out the nearest window. Osgood is examining the skeleton for any relevant data.”

The Doctor sighed.

“I didn’t think she’d try to kill the child,” she said. “I thought she wanted me. The boy in that dimension was going to die if I didn’t do something.”

“Always thinking of others first,” he said. “You’ve got to stop doing that now. You’re thinking for two people now.”

Martha appeared.

“I’m not going to lecture you,” Martha said. “I think you know now you can’t put your life at risk the way you used to.”

“What did the study show?” the Doctor asked.

“Nothing atypical,” she said. “We didn’t realize what was going on until, you started bleeding and the woman appeared. She didn’t say a word as she launched herself out the window.”

Exhausted, the Doctor closed her eyes. Suddenly she was in the precinct. Even the bleach blonde, Garcia was present. Almost everyone looked like they had been crying.

“The baby is fine,” she said.

A new thought hit.

“Everyone, come here,” she said. “Join hands with me.”

No one hesitated to join hands with her.

She blinked. The seven people were now in her hospital room.

“Who’re your friends?” Jack asked.

“This is Spencer’s family,” she said. “I think the child wants them here.”


	9. Chapter Nine:

The Doctor was dressed in a robe as she and sat in a wheelchair during the meeting with the agents, Ace, Martha, River, and Jack.

“Why did you bring us here?” Prentiss asked.

“Because I risk the child’s life every time it wants me to enter your world,” the Doctor said.

“How can a fetus feel so many things?” Martha asked. “Especially this early in development?”

“That’s the hard thing to explain about Gallifreyans,” the Doctor said. “Time does not move the same for us; we experience it all at once. It is currently responding to information stored in its DNA, the empathic abilities of Spencer. It is drawn to these people and it won’t stop crossing realities until it gets what it wants.”

“Fascinating,” Lewis said. “But how are we going to get home?”

“It shouldn’t be too hard,” the Doctor said. “It is about getting him or her to agree to send you back.”

“So, what do we do for the next nine months?” Rossi asked.

“Six to nine months,” the Doctor said. “Gallifreyans take six months while humans take nine.”

“Oh, I can think of things,” Jack said with a smile.

“This is serious Jack,” Martha said.

“I’m not kidding. You’re all trained to handle guns, right?”

“Not me,” Garcia said. “I’m the IT gal in the group.”

“I can find work for you here then,” Ace said.

“The rest of you,” Jack said. “I can train you to fight. Ace has a bunker we can use for weapons training. I’m going to teach you how to fight every alien in the known universe.”

“This is a lot to handle,” J.J. said.

“I’ll do what I did to Prentiss to each of you, in order to help explain the situation better,” the Doctor said.

“Will it give me a heart attack?” Rossi asked.

“I promise it will only hurt a little, and not cause lasting damage,” she said.

“I can hardly wait,” he grumbled.

“That can wait,” Ace said. “You may go to the sixth floor where I have an assistant who is preparing to make housing accommodations for all of you. You can also get lunch too.”

“I’ll take you up,” Jack said.

“Are you okay?” Prentiss asked the Doctor.

“I’m fine,” she said. “The kid is fine. Everything is fine!”

“Okay,” Prentiss said uncertainly.

The agents left.

“Okay,” the Doctor said. “Am I grounded?”

“We’re not going to treat you like a child, sweety,” River said.

“I am recommending twenty-four hours of bedrest though,” Martha said. “The child might not have been harmed, but you lost a significant amount of blood.”

“I know what I did was foolish and it won’t happen again,” the Doctor said. “I was only trying to protect another child.”

“We know dear,” River said. “We spoke with the agents earlier.”

“Your compassion is not a weakness, Doctor,” Ace said. “You just have to be more careful about how you use it from this point forward.”

“I understand,” she said.

“Yaz, Ryan, and Graham, are besides themselves with worry,” Martha said. “Let’s go see them.”

…

“Doctor!” Yaz said as she hugged her. “We were so worried.”

“You were shot in another dimension?” Ryan said. “How’d you survive?”

“I hear our group has grown to seven,” Graham said as Yaz let go. “You’ve got quite an assembly now, Doc.”

“I’m going to be okay,” the Doctor said. “I survived because I was able to teleport out using the powers of my child.”

“How is the child?” Yaz asked. 

“It deflected the bullet,” the Doctor said. “He or she is practically superman or woman.”

“The agents?” Graham asked.

“They’re Spencer’s friends,” she said. “I think he or she kept jumping to that reality because it is where it’s Dad lived and wanted to be close to that side of the family.”

“How do they feel about it?” Graham asked.

“They’re not thrilled,” she said. “But I think they’ll come around.”

“What now?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t know honestly,” the Doctor said. “We’ll just take it one day at a time.”

“You seem sad, Doctor,” Yaz said.

“I was willing to trade my child’s life for that of another,” she said. “I’ve never been afraid of dying for a good cause. I save people. It’s what I do. Now, I’m carrying a baby and I can’t do that anymore. It is scary and sad and a whole bunch of other emotions.”

Yaz hugged her, followed by Ryan, and Graham.

Martha who had been silent most of the time, came over and joined the hug.

“Everything you’re feeling is normal Doctor,” she said. “Being a mother is the scariest thing you’ll ever do. I promise you that.”

…

By the late afternoon, she was left alone with a tablet they had given her. She was reading Osgood’s notes on the halimorph. It had no traceable data on her except that she was female. 

WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD.

It echoed through her mind.

WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD!

The Doctor plugged her ears. But it persisted.

WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD

The Doctor hit her call button. She then pulled out her sonic. The language origin was a hundred. They all said the same thing.

WE WANT THE CHILD. WE WANT THE CHILD.

Grace appeared. 

“What is it?” she asked.

“You can’t hear them, can you?” the Doctor said. “It’s echoing through my mind. A hundred alien species are shouting that they want my child!”

Without warning, a purple alien with two heads appeared. It put a three-fingered hand on the Doctor.

Grace shot it. It exploded in blue goop.

Alarms went off. 

“We have an all-points-security breach,” Ace’s voice echoed. “Code nine!”

“Doctor, you need to come with me,” Grace said. “Can you run?”

“Of course,” she said getting out of bed and throwing on a robe. “When did you learn how to fire a gun?”

“Long story,” she said.

Grace led her out of the room and down the hall. Two Judoon and three Daleks surrounded them.

“You have no jurisdiction here!” the Doctor said.

“We have orders to apprehend the Doctor and her future offspring,” they said.

“Who put the contract out?” the Doctor asked.

“Confidential,” the Judoon said.

“YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!”

“Hello, old friends.”

Ace appeared with a gun resembling a bazooka.

They turned to face her. She blew them all up as Grace shot at the Judoon.

“Nice shooting,” they both said at once.

“You know where to take the Doctor?” Ace asked.

“Just like in the drill,” Grace said.

“Exactly,” she said. “I’ll patrol the area for other aliens.”

“Where are we going?” the Doctor asked.

“You’ll see,” she said.

They took the stairs up a floor, where more aliens were waiting. This time it was cybermen.

“You will be upgraded.”

There was a loud banging sound and the cybermen were sent down the stairs. Craig appeared with a gun resembling a grenade launcher.

“This floor is cleared,” he said.

“Have all my former companions been trained to handle guns?” the Doctor asked. “I’m not sure I approve.”

“We needed to be prepared,” Grace said.

They walked down a hall and then stopped in front of a window that looked out on a roof of a lower level. Grace opened it and they climbed down.

“What are we doing?” the Doctor. “So, this is what it’s like to be a companion.”

“We’re waiting,” she said.

Aliens began to assemble, around them. Cybermen, Daleks, Sontarans, Sycorax, and at least a dozen others she couldn’t identify. 

“You have a plan for all of this?” the Doctor asked.

“Wait,” Grace said with a confidence the Doctor had never heard.

There was sound of the cloister bell. A diner landed on half of them with an enormous thud. The other scattered.

Clara emerged with Lady Me.

“Doctor!” she said. “Come quickly!”


	10. Chapter Ten

Clara led them through the diner to the TARDIS console room.

“So, you’re in on it too?” the Doctor said.

“As a last resort,” Clara said.

The Doctor moved in front of the console.

“I know where we’re going,” she said.

“We were thinking the other end of the universe,” Lady Me said.

“I’ve got a better idea,” the Doctor said.

“Where?” Grace asked.

“A place that will help move things along,” the Doctor said. “I can’t be pregnant for six to nine months. It puts too many lives at risk.”

“It sounds medically risky,” Grace said.

“We don’t have a choice,” the Doctor said as she input the final coordinates.

The Doctor turned to Clara and Lady Me

“How are you two handling things?” the Doctor asked.

“We were about to return home, when River contacted us,” Lady Me said. “It seems you got into some trouble.”

“How are you Doctor?” Clara asked.

“Nearly got myself killed a couple times. Pregnancy hormones are messing with my head. All my previous companions have been trained to handle guns. I’m not exactly in a happy place.”

“Oh, Doctor,” Clara said as she tried to hug her.

“We’re here,” the Doctor said turning away. “I need to do this alone.”

“If you need us, we’re here,” Grace said.

“I know,” she said.

The Doctor walked out of the console room and through the diner. The sisters were all assembled around as she stepped out.

“We’ve been expecting you,” Ohila said.

“I’m not surprised,” she said.

“Are you scared?” Ohila asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Good,” she said. “Put on this gown. Your other clothes will start to feel tight if you don’t.

The Doctor didn’t hesitate to strip in front of these women. She quickly put on the red gown given to her.

“It is best that you lay down,” she said.

The Doctor laid down on the red silk mattress in front of her. They put pillows behind her neck to prop her up. 

“Will it hurt?” the Doctor asked.

“Yes,” Ohila said.

“Will it hurt the baby?” the Doctor asked.

“No.”

“That’s what I thought. Good,” she said.

“This potion, will tap into the child’s regenerative energy and allow it to grow rapidly over the span of an hour. You will not be able to birth the child here, as the child will decide when to come unless something happens before then.”

“Okay,” the Doctor said.

Ohila presented her the potion.

“You must drink all of it.”

The Doctor took the potion. It smelled horrendous. She put it to her lips and drank. Gagging at first, she pushed herself to drink all of it, even as it tasted disgusting. Ohila took the cup away when she was done.

At first nothing, happened. Then everything started changing. It felt as though every inch of her body was on fire. The Doctor let out an otherworldly scream.

The sisters held her hands as she shook violently and screamed. The pain was like nothing she had experienced in any of her lifetimes. She started to hallucinate. Rose appeared and with an assuring smile. All her previous faces began to melt into one. The agony was unbearable.

“Doctor,” Ohila said.

She was laying on her side trying to will the pain away.

“It is finished.”

The Doctor looked down on herself. Her breasts were significantly larger and her belly was huge. She felt heavy and enormous.

The sisters gingerly helped her up.

“Where do I go to give birth?” the Doctor asked.

“Your home,” Ohila said.

“Gallifrey has been destroyed,” the Doctor said.

“Your other home.”

“The TARDIS?”

“Don’t test me, Doctor.”

“Earth isn’t prepared for the number of aliens willing to invade to get this child.”

“You underestimate your friends,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” the Doctor said.

“Go to Earth, Doctor, and you will see.”

“Thank you, Ohila.”

“Take care of yourself and the child, Doctor,” she said.

The Doctor all but waddled to the TARDIS.

Lady Me, Clara, and Grace, were sitting around the diner.

“Doctor!” all three shouted. 

“What happened?” Grace asked.

“This Sisterhood of Karn helped the pregnancy along.”

“Is that safe?” Clara asked.

“Safer than waiting six to nine months for the child to come.”

“Now, I'm guessing you have a week at the most,” Grace said.

“I feel huge,” the Doctor moaned.

“We can travel for a week,” Lady Me said. “We’ll travel the cosmos.”

“No,” the Doctor said. “I’m giving birth to this kid on Earth.”

“Is it safe?” Grace asked.

“The sisterhood, seemed to think so.”

“Let’s go see then,” Clara said.

They walked into the console room.

“I’ve never felt so big in my life,” the Doctor moaned.

Clara entered the coordinates for Earth.

“What was it like?” Grace asked.

“Miserable, but the baby wasn’t hurt by the process,” the Doctor said.

“We’re here,” Clara said.

They walked outside and found the carpark Clara had set the TARDIS in, was teaming with aliens of every shape and size. And they were losing.

“Don’t stop fighting!” Ian could be heard shouting through a speaker somewhere. “They have no power over you. Fight with whatever you have. We live here, they have no business on this planet.”

Daleks were being beaten with nitro-enhanced baseball bats. Cars were running over cybermen. Sontarans were getting hit with hammers.  
Her companions were out in full force. Mel had a radar gun she a firing at aliens. Polly was with Osgood laying nail treads down to slow others. Craig was three stories up shooting the flying aliens and those in ships. Jo was with Kate talking on satellite phones. Gwen was driving a motorbike around while Jack shot wide. The agents from another dimension were also firing with fervor. These were her friends at their fiercest.

They walked into the headquarters.

“I’m taking this all the way up,” the Doctor said.

They stood in silence as the lift climbed to the tenth floor.

The Doctor got on to the roof. She unsteadily knelt to the gravel surface and lit her hand up.

Focusing on one thought in her head, she screamed:

“RUN!”

The light spread from to throughout the entire building and on to the surface of the earth. It would cause a slight sting to any alien touched by it. This was a protective energy wave she was able to harness from her child.

Ships began to depart from the sky. The sound of teleporters, could be heard. Everyone was leaving.

The Doctor laid on her back, exhausted. Grace held her hand.

Martha, Ace, and River appeared.

“You were brilliant dear,” River said.

“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” she said.

“I want to run an IV of fluids,” Martha said. “You need nutrients, after expending that amount of energy.”

“Whatever you say, Martha,” the Doctor said mildly.

Jack and Craig appeared.

“Carry the Doctor,” Martha said. “I want her on strict bedrest.”

Jack got her arms while Craig grabbed her feet.

“So, I see you got big while we fought,” Jack said in the lift.

“That’s one way of putting it,” she said.

When the doors opened, all her companions and the agents were assembled in the hall. They watched reverently.

The Doctor spotted the blond agent.

“J.J.” she said. “I remember you asking why I let Spencer sacrifice himself when I could regenerate.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just miss him horribly and I shouldn’t—”

“No, I want to answer it,” the Doctor said. “I couldn’t have regenerated after being shot by the kind of guns aimed at us. There are certain things I can’t survive. If I could give my life for him, I would have done so in a heartbeat. I didn’t know him long, J.J. but I loved him with all of both my hearts.”

J.J. burst into tears.

“Thank you, Doctor,” she said.

Jack and Craig laid her on a hospital bed. Yaz, Graham, Ryan were waiting.

“Well look at you,” Graham said.

“How?” Yaz asked.

“Elixir from the Sisterhood of Karn.”

“Sounds like a long story,” Ryan said.

“It is,” she said with a sigh.

“We’re here Doc,” Graham said, patting her hand.

“We’re all here,” Ryan said.

“We won’t leave you,” Yaz said.

The Doctor smiled and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	11. Chapter Eleven:

The next day, Martha wheeled the Doctor on to the stage in the auditorium, where all the companions, friends, and agents were assembled.

“It’s a girl!” the Doctor shouted.

The room erupted in cheers. Jack began to make rounds.

“Okay, pay up,” he said. “I take everything from pounds, to dollars, to kenkas.”

Everyone stepped on to the stage and took turns hugging the Doctor.

“Do you have an idea as to what you’ll call her?” Osgood asked.

“What is a name that held special meaning in Spencer’s life?” the Doctor asked the agents.

“Diana,” J.J. said. “It’s his mother’s name.”

“I like that,” she said. “Her name will be Astralina Diana Reid.”

“Where does Astralina come from?” Kate asked.

“My favorite auntie,” the Doctor said.

Ace appeared with sparkling grape juice and cups. The bottles were distributed and cups were filled.

“To Astralina Diana Reid!” Ace shouted.

Cups were clinked and hugs were exchanged. It was truly a happy time for the Doctor.

…

The Doctor met alone with Kate in the conference room the next day.

“Have you thought about what comes next?” she asked.

“Yes,” the Doctor said. “I’m going to ask the agents to take her in.”

“Do you think they’ll agree to it?”

“Have you looked in their eyes, Kate? They miss him as if he died yesterday. I think they’ll take any part of him they can get.”

“Do you think they can protect her?”

“I’m having Jack work with them on preparing for every scenario.”

“One of us could take her and you’d be able to see her regularly,” Kate said.

“And the earth would be facing more attacks than ever. She’s safer in a separate dimension where my life is a telly show.”

“Have you asked them yet?” 

“They’re my next meeting,” the Doctor said.

…

“You want us to take your baby?” Prentiss said.

“She’s not safe with me,” the Doctor said. “Or with any of my friends.”

“What about the fact she has two hearts?” J.J. asked. “How do we explain that to a pediatrician?”

“Martha will be sending you home with all sorts of booklets for how to treat her. I will also only be one phone call away.”

“Do you really trust us to take care of her?” Garcia asked.

“I didn’t know much about Spencer. He could have told me about anything in his background. It was clear he loved what he did. He loved working with you. You’re his family, and therefore, Astralina’s. I trust you with her life.”

“I’ll take her in,” J.J. said. “I always wanted a girl.”

“We’ll all help take care of her,” Rossi said.

“Are you ready to give her up?” Prentiss asked.

“No,” the Doctor said. “But I need to do what is right, and what is right, is to trust you to take care of her.”

“It will be an honor,” Lewis said.

Garcia stood up and came over to the Doctor’s side.

“We won’t let anyone hurt her,” she said as she hugged her.

“There’s still time,” the Doctor said. “She has to come out first!”

…

“Mel, this is adorable!” the Doctor gushed. “My baby’s first sonic screwdriver!”

“It only lights up,” she said. “It doesn’t actually do anything and is child-proof.”

“We don’t want her getting into trouble just yet!” the Doctor said.

The Doctor opened another gift. It was a onesie.

“Time Lady in Training,” the Doctor read. “Thank you, Gwen!”

“Now for my gift,” River said and presented a small box.

She opened the box and pulled out a fob watch on a necklace.

“Astralina’s name in Gallifreyan!” the Doctor said. “How wonderful!”

“One last gift,” J.J. said and presented her a thick box. “It’s from all of us.”

The Doctor unwrapped it and found a scrapbook.

“Oh, thank you, J.J.” the Doctor said.

“We promise we’ll keep you in the loop for every milestone,” J.J. said. “Every first step, first words, and everything in between.”

“Thank you,” she said.

J.J. hugged her.

“Thank you, Doctor,” J.J. said. “We’ll take good care of her. I promise.”

“I know,” the Doctor said.

Wrapping paper was cleared and the Doctor wiped away a small tear.

…

The Doctor woke up in the middle of the night. For some reason she was terrified and she couldn’t pinpoint why. Without warning, she let out a gasp. Her water broke.

She hit the call button by her bed. No one came. The Doctor hit it again, and nothing happened. Feeling another lurch, she screamed.

“HELP!”

“No one is here to help you, Doctor.”

The Master was watching.

“They’re all bound and gagged in my TARDIS, I managed to get out of yours. No one will help you.”

She let out another breath.

“Why?”

“Because I want you and the child to suffer,” he said. “Sending me back to earth for seventy years, and you struggle to deliver a child on your own. We’re even.”

The Master sauntered off. 

“Where are you going!?” the Doctor cried.

“I’m a little squeamish around blood and guts,” he said taking a step back. “That is why I remotely blew Gallifrey up.”

“Why!?” the Doctor asked and let out another scream.

“You’ll find out eventually,” the Master said and walked off.

The Doctor shrugged off her underthings. Martha and the Doctor hadn’t discussed how she’d do this alone as she or Grace were always on call. She never felt so scared in her life.

“Breathe dear. Breathe.”

She looked up and saw a face she hadn’t seen in over nineteen hundred years. It was framed with shoulder-length auburn hair. She was wearing a red dress, with flowing sleeves, and the symbol of Gallifrey around her neck.

“Astralina?”

“We’ll discuss why you lied to everyone about where the name came from later. You need to breath and when the next contraction hits, push.”

A contraction hit, and the Doctor pushed. It was extraordinarily painful.

Astralina pulled out a wet wash cloth and put it on her head. She then put on some gloves.

“Remember when I went through this with Anson? You passed out when the doctor showed him to you before they cleaned him up.”

The Doctor smiled and let out a sob.

“Gallifrey is dead! You’ve been dead for nearly two thousand years. How are you here?”

“I promised you that one day, in the far future, I would be there during your moment of greatest need. This is the moment dear. I heard your cries and they brought me here now.”

Another contraction hit. The Doctor pushed as hard as she could. 

“We have a head,” she said. “Keep pushing.”

The Doctor kept pushing.

“Very good. Just one more push.”

The Doctor let out a strangled sob.

Astralina said her name.

“You can do this,” she said. “I know you can.”

Hearing her name, gave her the power to push one more time.

The baby let out a cry.

“Are you going to pass out if I show her to you now?” she asked with a grin.

“Let me see my baby,” the Doctor said.

She was bloody, covered in goop, and crying her lungs out. The Doctor had never seen anything more beautiful.

“I’ll clean her up,” Astralina said. 

“Thank you,” the Doctor said. “I’ll live a hundred thousand years and still miss you.”

“You’ve built a good life for yourself outside of Gallifrey,” she said. “River is feisty compared me.”

“How?” 

“I live in the stars,” she said. “Look up, and I’ll be watching. I’ll never touch you again, but I’ll always love you.”

“I love you too, my Astralina.”

The baby cried loudly.

“I’ll get her cleaned up.”

…

Several hours later, Martha burst in followed by Jack. They were stunned to see the Doctor holding her baby.

“Doctor!” Martha said. “You delivered her on your own?”

“I had help from someone from my past,” she said.

“It took us longer than we would have liked to escape and subdue the Master,” Jack said.

“That happens,” the Doctor said simply.

“You delivered a baby!” Martha said. “How are you so calm?”

The baby made some gurgling sounds.

“Shush,” the Doctor said. “Astralina needs to sleep.”

“Are we ever going to get the full story out of you, Doctor?” Jack asked.

“No,” she said. “That is between me, my baby, and the person who came when I needed someone the most.”


	12. Chapter Twelve:

“She has little blond curls!” Polly cooed. “Like she has a little halo!”

The boys had visited earlier. It was the girl’s turn now.

“She’s stunning Doctor,” J.J. said. 

“Thank you,” the Doctor said. “I forgot how much they slept. They seem to only wake when need their nappies changed or to eat.”

“How’s breastfeeding?” Donna asked. “It isn’t always the easiest thing starting out.”

“Yeah, it was a little trial and error, but I figured it out.”

“She looks a little like you,” Yaz said. “I think she has your nose.”

“It’s too early to see if she’ll have Spencer’s cheekbones,” the Doctor said. “I love a pair of a sharp cheekbones.”

“She truly is a lovely little girl,” Jo said. “How much did she weigh when you gave birth?”

“Seven pounds, twelves ounces,” the Doctor said.

“My kids always ran bigger,” Jo said.

“Is everyone recovered from being abducted by the Master?” the Doctor asked.

“I can cross alien abduction off my bucket list,” Grace said.

“The FBI training kicked in,” Lewis said. “He really is just a narcissistic psychopath. Once we profiled him, it was a case of strength in numbers.”

“We made a good team,” Prentiss said. “Ian showed he still has a lot of fight in him.”

“I really am sorry you all had to go through that,” the Doctor said.

Everyone waved their hands and shushed her.

“I’d go through it again in a heartbeat to be here for you,” Mel said.

“I’ve been through worse,” Garcia said.

“As have I,” River said.

“I took pleasure in giving the Master the old right hook,” Ace said.

“It’s what we were trained to handle,” Gwen said.

“Like Lewis said, strength in numbers,” Osgood said. “We managed fine.”

“No one was seriously hurt,” Kate said. 

The Doctor sighed and looked at her child.

“So many people love you, Astralina. How lucky we are.”

…

The Doctor walked Astralina through the TARDIS. 

“This is the console room. It is how Mummy steers the TARDIS when the TARDIS feels like listening to her. We have a special bond, but nothing like ours.”

They walked down a hall.

“This is the companion wing to the left. They’re my traveling friends. I like to try to keep them comfortable between adventures.”

“Excellent work, Doctor.”

The Doctor looked around to see the First doctor in front with the twelve other faces assembled.

“This is what your mummy used to look like. I know, a little confusing, but it’ll make sense when you’re older.”

“She has your face,” Ten said to Eleven.

“Thank you,” Eleven said.

“Though every baby does.”

“Hey!”

“Quit bickering you two,” Two said. “She looks lovely.”

“Such big inquisitive eyes,” Three said.

“And dimples,” Four said. “Everyone likes dimples. I wonder if she’ll have my curls.”

“She’s blond like me,” Five said.

“That could change,” Six said.

“I hope she doesn’t have your clothing taste,” Four said.

“Says the man with the overlong scarf!” Six said.

“Enough with the arguing,” Seven said. “She’s has her father’s brown eyes.”

“I hope she loves to explore like us,” Eight said. “Or she might be able to predict the future.”

“I hope she never has to fight in a war,” the War Doctor said. “Keep her from those things.”

“Please do,” Nine said. “Her ears don’t stick out like mine.”

“Thank you,” the Doctor said.

“We’re here too, if you need advice,” the First said.

“I know,” the Doctor said. “You all live in my heart. Thanks for coming to meet Astralina.”

They all nodded and waved as they dissipated.

“A baby!”

The TARDIS as Idris appeared.

“Oh, she’s so cute,” she said. “Let’s take her for an adventure! How about the place with flying miniature unicorns with rainbow tails? That sounds like fun!”

“Astralina’s just visiting,” the Doctor said. “A baby has no place in the TARDIS.”

“You’re really giving her up?”

“I have to,” the Doctor said. “It is the only way to keep her safe.”

“What a brave Doctor,” she said.

A door suddenly appeared. The Doctor walked in and gasped. It was another TARDIS in the shape of a gray cylinder.

“You’ve been keeping this from me for how long!?”

“Lifetimes,” she said and snapped her fingers. The TARDIS became the size of a soda can.

A crib emerged from the floor.

“Rest her here,” she said.

The Doctor put her in the crib. She then fell to her knees and cried. Idris held her as she sobbed.

“I don’t want to give her up!”

“I know,” she said. “You’re my brave Doctor. Protector of the universe. Righter of wrongs. Savior of Earth. Mummy. You’re being a good mummy.”

The Doctor cried some more.

“When the time comes,” Idris said. “She’ll return to you. You’ll travel the stars together and she will be a champion like you. But she’s little right now. When she’s bigger, she’ll understand. You’re my wise Doctor. And the planet with the Unicorns will still be there.”

Idris handed her the TARDIS.

“Make sure she leaves with this.”

“I will,” the Doctor said and stood up.

She picked up Astralina with the TARDIS.

“Thank you for everything, Sexy.”

“I’m always here for you, Doctor,” she said. “You’re my favorite companion.”

The Doctor left the room and turned and saw none other than Spencer. He was dressed in a dark suit with a purple shirt.

“She’s beautiful.”

“Spencer,” she said tearfully.

“You’re doing what’s right. My team will take good care of her.”

“I miss you.”

“I live on in her,” he said. “I’ll always be with you.”

He said her name.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you and Astralina,” he said and dissipated.

The Doctor rocked her.

“I think we’ve done enough exploring,” the Doctor said. “I’ll show more when you grow up.”

Astralina was fast asleep.

The Doctor smiled.

…

Martha did another quick check up on Astralina.

“She’s good for traveling,” she said.

“So, we’re just going to think of home and we’ll be home?” Prentiss said.

“That sounds about right,” the Doctor said.

“Are you going to be okay?” Rossi asked.

“I will be,” Doctor said. “Don’t forget the suitcase of stuff. That cylinder can be dressed up however you like. Just don’t ever lose it.”

J.J. hugged her.

“Thank you. Thank you for giving us part of Spencer to take care of.”

“Keep in touch,” the Doctor said. “Don’t ever lose my number.”

“We won’t,” Garcia said.

The Doctor wiped away a tear.

“Now go before I try to do something stupid,” she said with a slight laugh.

“You have all the documentation you need,” Martha said. “Garcia just needs to input it in a databank the minute you get home.”

“Absolutely,” Garcia said.

The Doctor kissed Astralina on the head as J.J. picked her up.

“Goodbye, my Astralina Diana Reid,” she said. “I’ll be waiting for you. Come find me.”

The Doctor whispered her name in Astralina’s ear.

“In your time of greatest need, whisper my name and I will come for you,” the Doctor said. “That’s a promise.”

She stepped back and the agents left the room. J.J. carried the baby while Prentiss carried the suitcase.

All the companions were assembled in the hall. They waved, saluted (Jack), and blew kisses.

The team walked down the hall and in a matter of seconds, they faded away.

Everyone looked to the Doctor.

“She’ll be back,” she said. “I don’t doubt it.”

They descended upon her. Ian first, followed by Yaz. They gathered around and hugged the Doctor tightly as tears silently fell.

…

“Are you sure you’re up for traveling?” Yaz asked.

“Martha cleared me, right, Martha?” the Doctor said. “I need to take you home.”

“Thanks for the lift,” Martha said.

“Jack, where am I dropping you off?” the Doctor asked.

“Somewhere I can get a proper drink and a hot date,” he said.

“Grace, do you have any place you’d like to see?” 

“Just a different planet,” she said.

“I can arrange that.”

“So, we’re going to gather with all the former companions on Astralina’s birthday?” Ryan said.

“That’s the plan,” the Doctor said.

“Are you okay Doc?” Graham.

“No, but I will be,” the Doctor said. “The important thing is, that my daughter is safe.”

“You’ll see her again,” Yaz said. 

“I know,” the Doctor said. “I know she will be brilliant.”

EPILOGUE

I look to the stars and feel a sense of longing. It is as though that is where I belong. Big thoughts for a twelve-year-old. But I’m not exactly your ordinary preteen either.

My adoptive parents tell me my mother lives among the stars. I ask if that means she’s dead like my father. They smile and say she is a traveler. I ask why I can’t talk to her over the phone. They say she travels to the most distant parts of the world, where cell service has no reach. She is also in great danger and that it is risky for her to try.

I am Astralina Diana Reid. My friends call me Astra. I have been raised by a group of law enforcement agents. One day I’ll live among the stars. Until that day comes, I wait for the brilliant future that is mine to claim.

THE END

TO BE CONTINUED IN “ASTRALINA REID” IN CONJUCTION WITH THE CRIMINAL MINDS FANDOM


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